Chapter 10 — The Restored Truth
Brenda stood up slowly from the hallway floor.
She clutched the forged property deed tightly in her hand.
She walked past Arthur without saying another word.
Arthur remained slumped in the wooden armchair with his head buried in his hands.
Brenda stepped back into the sunlit living room.
Ethan was still sitting quietly on the edge of the sofa.
He looked up with red, swollen eyes.
He sniffled and wiped a remaining tear from his cheek.
Brenda dropped to her knees right in front of him.
She opened her arms wide.
Ethan leaned forward and buried his face in her shoulder.
Brenda wrapped her arms tightly around him.
“You’re not in trouble, baby,” Brenda whispered into his hair.
“You never were.”
Ethan hugged her back fiercely, his small frame finally relaxing.
“I didn’t break it, Mom,” Ethan whispered.
“I know you didn’t,” Brenda replied softly.
“I am so, so sorry I ever doubted you.”
She kissed the top of his head and held him close for a long moment.
Down the hallway, the sound of heavy footsteps scraped against the wooden floorboards.
Arthur appeared at the edge of the living room.
He carried a worn leather suitcase in his right hand.
He did not look up to meet their eyes.
“I’m leaving,” Arthur muttered to the floor.
“I’ve already called a lawyer.”
Brenda looked up from where she knelt with her son.
She did not yell or argue.
Her gaze was calm, steady, and resolute.
“Good,” Brenda said clearly.
“We’ll be changing the locks by tonight.”
Arthur nodded slowly.
He turned toward the front door and pulled it open.
The afternoon sunlight flooded the entryway as he stepped outside.
The heavy front door clicked shut behind him.
Silence settled over the suburban house.
Brenda exhaled a long, steady breath she felt like she had been holding for years.
She looked down at the shattered glass frame still scattered across the carpet.
She gently set Ethan down on the sofa.
She walked over to the TV stand and picked up a clean, unbroken family portrait.
She walked back to the center of the living room.
She carefully placed the new framed photo right in the middle of the table.
The glass caught the warm afternoon light, shining brightly in the quiet room.
THE END